Wet track tyres

Author
Discussion

TiM3

89 posts

225 months

Friday 4th September 2015
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I've read quite a few comments that full racing wets such as Hankooks are a real leap over road legal tyres, hunting around on the internet though I can't seem to find anywhere that sells them. Any hints on who to go?

iguana

7,044 posts

261 months

Friday 4th September 2015
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I can't recommend the hankooks, maybe I had a duff set but were just awful vs the Dunlop wets.

Viperzs

Original Poster:

972 posts

168 months

Friday 4th September 2015
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Where do people get full wets from?

I certainly wouldn't sit out a wet track day. I'd be much more cautious though! Nice to see a Lotus out on a wet track.

NJH

3,021 posts

210 months

Saturday 5th September 2015
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Race teams or if buying brand new from race tyre distributors such as Protyre or Mr Tyre Motorsport:
http://www.hankookmotorsport.com/productdetails.as...
or the Dunlop options
http://www.mrtyremotorsport.co.uk/dunlop-touring-s...

alicrozier

549 posts

238 months

Monday 7th September 2015
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andyiley

9,234 posts

153 months

Monday 7th September 2015
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I find that choice a little surprising.

The Avon ZZR is one of the worst tyres it has ever been my misfortune to drive on!

GreigM

6,728 posts

250 months

Monday 7th September 2015
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andyiley said:
I find that choice a little surprising.

The Avon ZZR is one of the worst tyres it has ever been my misfortune to drive on!
I think that page is showing ZZR as the dry option and something else (not specified beyond "WET") as the wet weather option. I would agree that the ZZR is a terrible tyre in the wet, but I found it very good in the dry - possibly the best "road" tyre I've driven int he dry.

DanGPR

988 posts

172 months

Monday 7th September 2015
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QBee said:
Fair enough. It's a free country!

Perhaps it's a case of choose your track for a wet day?
I would probably have a go at Bedford in the damp, or maybe Donington, but on wet tyres.
Somewhere with not too much to hit, and not too close to the track.
But, for me, not Cadwell Park.
Or Castle Combe.
Or Oulton Park.
In a TVR.

Now, if anyone wants to lend me a Clio 172 on road tyres....... drivingwhistle
Cadwell in (not my) Avon Tiger, on 888R's, in torrential rain with inch deep standing water...Would not recommend. No roof, no doors, no windscreen.
In an MX5 it was fine and as you say, the Clios etc. were in their element.

andyiley

9,234 posts

153 months

Monday 7th September 2015
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GreigM said:
I think that page is showing ZZR as the dry option and something else (not specified beyond "WET") as the wet weather option. I would agree that the ZZR is a terrible tyre in the wet, but I found it very good in the dry - possibly the best "road" tyre I've driven int he dry.
I know different cars respond differently to different tyres, but, if you think that, then I highly recommend you try Conti sport contact 5s, they will amaze you by the difference.

alicrozier

549 posts

238 months

Tuesday 8th September 2015
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GreigM said:
I think that page is showing ZZR as the dry option and something else (not specified beyond "WET") as the wet weather option. I would agree that the ZZR is a terrible tyre in the wet, but I found it very good in the dry - possibly the best "road" tyre I've driven int he dry.
Yes, sorry if that was confusing. ZZR is the road legal dry tyre.
Avon 'wets' are non road legal wet race tyre BGT001 (same as British GT).
http://www.avonmotorsport.com/wet-weather-patterns

ZZR are excellent in the dry, faster and longer lasting than A048R or R888. I agree not the tyre of choice for wet weather!

philevo6

236 posts

203 months

Tuesday 8th September 2015
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QBee said:
It's a track day.
Not life and death driving an ambulance on the M25 in a cloudburst.
Not win or lose in a major race series.

My policy, evolved after a 1200 degree spin at 100 mph at Snetterton this Spring on a drying track with a few puddles (I got away with it, but someone else 15 minutes later didn't), is to stay in the warm club house with a nice hot cup of coffee until it is properly dry.
Then when it is fully dry, drive flat out, make up for lost time, and enjoy every minute.
Race tracks dry out faster than normal roads, once the rain stops.
On a track day this summer at Cadwell Park it started out raining lightly. Some brave souls went out on their road tyres, some even braver souls went out on their track tyres. In a 20 minute period, two Lotuses, one an Elise, the other an Evora, lost it coming over the Mountain and pirouetted on the sloping wet grass and into the armco opposite the cafe. I watched both of them.

So please consider treating a dry track day as fun, a wet one as cafe time, and stick to dry running only. Sounds pathetic, but all I can say is that in 30 track days in 3 years I have only completely lost one track day (in December.....) to the weather. Every other day there has been at least 5 hours of dry running, enough to enjoy the 2-3 hours that most of us actually spend on track.

Your car, your call. But I think a Lotus is more likely to spin than a daily driver due to its light weight and rear wheel drive, which are what makes it a fun track car in the dry.
Disagree with some of that.

On wet days i learn more about the car than on any dry day.

So if it rains then you dont go out?...what!!?..do you own a radical?...smile

Dry days,yes are brilliant,but im not spending hours in a cafe because of a bit of rain!! man up! lol

You will face rain on trackdays in england...fact. it does not have to spoil the day...get some super soft/wets and enjoy.

NJH

3,021 posts

210 months

Wednesday 9th September 2015
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Its all relative though, cold and a bit damp or slippy with some spray can equal a lot of fun and tell one a lot about your car, its setup and how to drive it in such conditions. Anyone who races will have to do so in such conditions as much as a few times a year some years. However some days we get huge down pours and standing water all over the place, personally having spun off at 90 mph on a relatively straight bit of track in such conditions I would rather not go on track when there is significant standing water. A little standing water then no worries so I guess many others probably make the same sort of judgement.

carl911rugby

27 posts

163 months

Wednesday 9th September 2015
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Don't you just hate negative people with an opinion!!!! Just keep lapping, wet or dry!!!
We use uniroyal rain sport 3s. They are excellent wet weather tyres. They have very soft sidewalls and so steering feel is not the greatest in the dry, but grip and car control are excellent in the wet. They are also very cheap and pretty good in the dry, they also don't shred in the dry. Just used ours on the Nurburgring on a soaked track day after a 6hr vln race, so oil everywhere!! Great tyres!!!

carl911rugby

27 posts

163 months

Wednesday 9th September 2015
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Don't you just hate negative people with an opinion!!!! Just keep lapping, wet or dry!!!
We use uniroyal rain sport 3s. They are excellent wet weather tyres. They have very soft sidewalls and so steering feel is not the greatest in the dry, but grip and car control are excellent in the wet. They are also very cheap and pretty good in the dry, they also don't shred in the dry. Just used ours on the Nurburgring on a soaked track day after a 6hr vln race, so oil everywhere!! Great tyres!!!

QBee

20,987 posts

145 months

Wednesday 9th September 2015
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Interesting, I have them on my daily driver Saab. Awesome grip on soaking motorways.
I will try them on the TVR for wet days.

Oilchange

8,464 posts

261 months

Saturday 12th September 2015
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HThe I've just picked up some affordable new Avon wets for my rears and am on the hunt for front sizes. Not in a hurry though. If I was I may have to buy new but at the mo I can wait out on Ebay etc for unwanted new or slightly worn seconds at a discount.
Buying new wets is NOT cheap. That's my issue. Strict budget!

Unless I really needed wets (I do) I would go for contis uni royals simply from recommendations on here



Edited by Oilchange on Sunday 13th September 08:10

billyboysm3

171 posts

156 months

Saturday 12th September 2015
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In use uniroyal rainsport and they are awesome on a E46 M3.

I'll post a video from Bedford sen so you can see how much grip they have.


mgv8dave

826 posts

214 months

Thursday 17th September 2015
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R888 are fine in the wet as long as you can keep the heat in them, mind you avoid the standing water.


GreigM

6,728 posts

250 months

Thursday 17th September 2015
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andyiley said:
I know different cars respond differently to different tyres, but, if you think that, then I highly recommend you try Conti sport contact 5s, they will amaze you by the difference.
Just noticed this. I'd be REALLY surprised at that, just looking at a photo of the tread pattern I reckon I could melt them in 5 dry laps. The ZZR are the closest thing to a slick I've ever driven on, you sure you're not confusing the ZZR (the relatively new tyre designed around the Caterham) with the old Avon ZRs etc which were more of a road tyre?

andyiley

9,234 posts

153 months

Friday 18th September 2015
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GreigM said:
andyiley said:
I know different cars respond differently to different tyres, but, if you think that, then I highly recommend you try Conti sport contact 5s, they will amaze you by the difference.
Just noticed this. I'd be REALLY surprised at that, just looking at a photo of the tread pattern I reckon I could melt them in 5 dry laps. The ZZR are the closest thing to a slick I've ever driven on, you sure you're not confusing the ZZR (the relatively new tyre designed around the Caterham) with the old Avon ZRs etc which were more of a road tyre?
Believe me, you couldn't. I use them on my e36 328, which is a fairly heavy car, I normally so 20/30 laps at a time at Cadwell/Blyton park (where I go the most) with no such issues at all.

As for what you say about the zzr, I didn't know Avon made 2 tyres with the same nomenclature.... That wouldn't be confusing at all, would it?